Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson is a midscale, limited-service hotel franchise. Franchisees own and operate individual properties, running front desk, housekeeping, and revenue management to brand standards.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Country Inn & Suites by Radisson franchise requires a total initial investment of $678K – $2.2M, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2024 FDD on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. SBA 7(a) loans show a 12.1% charge-off rate across 243 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $678K – $2.2M
- 22nd pct Lodging
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Projection
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 53rd pct Lodging
- Units
- 425
- 61st pct Lodging
- SBA charge-off
- 12.1%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Lodging · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Lodging avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $678K – $2.2M including a $50K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 19 reports hotel occupancy metrics rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 61/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 12.1% across 243 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- DATAItem 19 reports hotel occupancy metrics rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Choice Hotels International, Inc.
- Parent company
- Choice Hotels International, Inc.
- Predecessor
- Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Inc. (formerly Country Inns & Suites By Carlson, Inc.)
- Prior franchisor entity
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 915 Meeting Street, Suite 600, North Bethesda, Maryland 20852
- Auditor
- Ernst & Young LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.5B
- vs $1.4B prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Patrick S. Pacious
- Headquarters
- MD
- Founded
- 1963
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 42
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 86% below the typical lodging franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affiliation Fee | $50K | $65K | |
| Property Improvements | $519K | $1.7M | |
| Insurance | $3K | $88K | |
| Advertising | $3K | $40K | |
| Pre-Opening Photography | $1K | $3K | |
| Hardware to operate choiceADVANTAGE property management system | $4K | $11K | |
| choiceADVANTAGE Software License and Systems Training | $9K | $11K | |
| Opening Inventory of Supplies | $24K | $330K | |
| Orientation and Hospitality Operations Training Fees | $1K | $3K | |
| Mandatory On-Premises Signs | $20K | $100K | |
| Interior Design Waiver Fee | $0 | $15K | |
| Architectural Design Review & Construction Services | $0 | $15K | |
| Design and engineering costs and inspections | $10K | $90K | |
| Working Capital Required Before Operations Begin | $15K | $40K | |
| Additional Funds for 3-Month Initial Period | $25K | $50K | |
| Total initial investment | $683K | $2.6M |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $678K – $2.2M
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $40K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.5%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.5% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $472 |
| Training fee | $3K |
| Transfer fee | $65K |
| Inventory (initial) | $24K – $330K |
| Total fee load | 9.5% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
No Item 19 revenue figure for Country Inn & Suites by Radisson is on file. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Country Inn & Suites by Radisson unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for annual revenue, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
An occupancy metric, not unit revenue
- Item 19 type
- occupancy/ADR/RevPAR metrics only; no per-unit gross sales figures
- Sample size
- 417 outlets
- vs category median 98 · large
- Reporting year
- 2023
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2024
- Disclosed in the 2024 filing, covering 2023
Compared against 175 Lodging brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 9.5% (near the Lodging average).
Disclosure
Item 19 reports hotel occupancy metrics rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
Operator retention
System contracting at -5.0% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Lodging averages
How Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 425
- Opened
- 3
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 11
- Terminated
- 1
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 2
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 2.6%
- Company-owned
- 4
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 99%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -5.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -5.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 8
- Closed (3yr)
- 2
- Terminated (3yr)
- 4
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 2
- Transfers (3yr)
- 26
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 2
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Termination rate
- 1.3%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 0.4%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 42 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
42
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 243
- Loan volume
- $458.5M
- Median loan
- $1.9M
- average
- Charge-off rate
- 12.1%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 60
- Defaults
- 21
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 12.1% — 24% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Country Inn & Suites exhibits high-risk characteristics including system decline, franchisee financial distress (84 collection actions), material litigation alleging RICO violations, undisclosed financial performance, and unprotected territories—warranting extreme caution.
Litigation (Item 3)
Three pending cases including a Canadian class action re destination marketing fees, a stayed multi-plaintiff discrimination/antitrust suit with related arbitration, and a Florida breach-of-contract/trade-secrets case. Franchisor initiated many actions in prior year to recover royalties. Largest resolved adverse judgment was $779,398.
Largest disclosed settlement: $779,398
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Ernst & Young LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Item 21 financials are the audited consolidated statements of the franchisor's parent, Choice Hotels International, Inc. (auditor served since 2014; report dated Feb 20, 2024). Figures are for fiscal years ended Dec 31, 2023 (yr1) and Dec 31, 2022 (yr2), reported in thousands. Total revenues of $1,544.165M include $784.16M of 'other revenues from franchised and managed properties'; 'Other' revenue line was $46.051M. Total shareholders' equity (net worth) was only $35.598M due to large treasury stock balance.
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 61 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORDeclining unit count (-1.9% YoY) indicates system contraction and market saturation concerns
- 02HIGHMultiple material litigations including RICO/antitrust allegations by franchisees suggest systemic franchisor-franchisee relationship problems
- 03MINOR84 royalty collection actions in one year demonstrates widespread franchisee financial distress and payment defaults
- 04HIGHClass action litigation regarding destination marketing fees suggests hidden or unexpected fee structures impacting franchisee profitability
- 05MINORGuest data misappropriation lawsuit raises operational and legal compliance risks
- 06MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk from other Country Inn & Suites locations and cannibalization of market revenue
- 07HIGHHigh litigation volume (4 material cases resolved + multiple pending) indicates contentious franchisor practices and dispute resolution patterns
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 9.5% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 20 years |
|---|---|
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 0 |
| Territory type | none |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Right of first refusalℹ | No |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 4 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 5 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Maryland |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | MD |
| Litigation count | 3 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Three pending cases including a Canadian class action re destination marketing fees, a stayed multi-plaintiff discrimination/antitrust suit with related arbitration, and a Florida breach-of-contract/trade-secrets case. Franchisor initiated many actions in prior year to recover royalties. Largest resolved adverse judgment was $779,398.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 47 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- North Bethesda, Maryland or Scottsdale, Arizona (Choice Onboard); virtual/online (HOST)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 18 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects, franchisor must approve
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- choiceADVANTAGE
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: choiceADVANTAGE
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
184 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Country Inn & Suites by Radisson franchise?
The total investment to open a Country Inn & Suites by Radisson franchise ranges from $678K – $2.2M, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Country Inn & Suites by Radisson franchise owners earn?
No average owner earnings figure for Country Inn & Suites by Radisson is on file. Item 19 — where a franchisor may disclose what its outlets earn — is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and we have not established what this brand's FDD says. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
What is Item 19 in the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Country Inn & Suites by Radisson's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson has a charge-off rate of 12.1% across 243 loans, meaning 12.1% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Country Inn & Suites by Radisson franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson has 425 total units in the United States, including 421 franchised units and 4 company-owned units. 3 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Country Inn & Suites by Radisson a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Country Inn & Suites by Radisson as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 61 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.